Three Days
by Araven14
Summary: Light is given three days in which to find a reason to remain alive. If, at the end of three days, he has failed to do so, he will die. Sometimes, it is possible to look too hard and not see what's in front of you. L/Light slash.
1. Prologue Something Wicked This Way Comes

**Hehe... yeah, I probably shouldn't have started another multi-chapter, but this one will only be about 4-5 chapters long. I'm hoping for a chapter a day, but knowing me, that will probably go flying out the window, so... yeah. Enjoy.**

**Set after Light reagins his memories of the Death Note, but before he goes and kills L (at which point, I quite literally screamed at my computer 'NO LIGHT! HE'S YOUR SOULMATE!)**

**Death Note does not belong to me (but I do have a hell of a lot of apples; do you think Ryuk will come pay me a visit? ;])**

* * *

Light was on the verge of falling asleep. His head rested on his folded arms, slumped over the desk at which he had been sat for the past fourteen hours. The night before, he had gotten a mere three hours sleep, and he was exhausted. Ryuzaki sat in the chair beside him, wide eyes trained on his computer screen, apparently completely absorbed by whatever it was that he was reading.

The Kira within Light screamed at him, demanding to know why Ryuzaki – no, why _L _was still alive. Light may not have wanted to admit it, but he felt that Ryuzaki was...not quite a friend, for their relationship had too many levels and far too much deceit for that. However, had the situation been different, then Light thought that he and Ryuzaki could quite easily have become close friends.

Mentally shaking himself for having such thoughts, Light turned his mind away from irrelevant issues such as friendship. Gods did not need friends, and regardless, L was Kira's enemy. Friendship with him would be impossible.

Yet, even Light could not deny that he felt a strange kinship with Ryuzaki. After all, was it not true that they both believed themselves to be justice? Was it not also true that, in their own way, they were doing what they believed was right and would make the world a better place?

So, though he tried, Light simply could not bring himself to hate the eccentric genius of a detective.

L, however... well, that was a different thing entirely. L was just a letter on a computer screen, an altered voice, an anonymous detective trying to bring Kira down and ruin his visions of the new world. Light found it quite easy to hate L.

Recently, Light had started to separate himself from Kira – he thought of them as two different people – Light was a kind, intelligent young man who wished only for justice. Kira was a killer, the means by which that justice could be achieved.

He had only begun to distinguish the two halves of his personality after he had regained his memories – having worked beside Ryuzaki and attempted to catch the false Kira, Light had started to hate Kira. Now, having regained his memories and the presence of Kira in his mind, Light had started to hate himself.

The only thing that kept him going anymore was the thought of the peaceful new world he was building. A perfect world, one that could be loved by every innocent, good, kind person on Earth. The next generation would never have to know what it was like to fear criminals, would grow up being taught Kira's beliefs and ideals, and the world would be a far better place for it.

Light fell asleep comforted by that fact, and when he awoke, he was slightly shocked to see that he was staring down at his on body.

* * *

Until that point, Light had never really noticed how annoying Ryuk's laugh could be when he was trying to think. By then, the rest of the task force seemed to have noticed something amiss – they were all crowded around Light's body, yelling, but Light couldn't manage to focus on the words. He could separate their voices easily enough, but none of what they were saying made any sense. Were they still speaking Japanese? Rem stood silently, though she too seemed faintly amused by what was going on. She said something, and it was a few seconds before Light realised that one of the task force members had been speaking to her.

It shouldn't have been shocking that Ryuzaki was the one to question her, yet somehow it was. After all, he was one of the few people who didn't seem to be particularly frightened by her. Now he seemed slightly angry, Light noted dazedly, as though he blamed Rem for whatever had happened. A thought struck him with roughly the same force as a bullet train, and he turned to Ryuk.

"Am I dead?" He asked the unpredictable shinigami.

"No Light Yagami, you are not yet dead," a soft voice from behind him made Light jump and spin quickly around. A being stood there – he wasn't quite certain what she was, but he thought she might be a shinigami, though she didn't look like any shinigami Light had ever seen.

Pure white eyes were framed by thick, dark eyelashes, while her skin emitted a faint glow. She wore no clothing, but her body was not human – in fact, Light thought that it would probably be stranger to see her wearing human clothes, like seeing an animal wearing a suit or something. Instead, her body was adorned by runes and symbols that covered perhaps ninety-five percent of her body.

"Hey! No rest for you, Wicked, huh?" Ryuk laughed, and the woman raised an exasperated eyebrow at him.

"Ryuk, that joke stopped being funny centuries ago. Besides, as you've no doubt gathered, I am not here for a social visit," at that she turned to face Light.

"Light, my people have decided your fate. You are a menace to the humans, as well as being dangerous to the shinigami. We saw your plan to murder Rem, not to mention the fact that many humans without notebooks are now aware of their presence on Earth. This cannot continue."

"Wait! Your people? Who are you? What are you? What do you want from me?"Light cried, feeling increasingly desperate. Though she had no irises or pupils, Light got the feeling that she was staring right at him.

"My people are none of your concern. Know only that they are incredibly powerful, and would never usually directly interfere with the human realm. I am known by many names, Light Yagami, but you may call me Wicked. What I am is no business of yours, though I suppose in this situation I may be considered a messenger. As to what we want from you..." White eyes flashed, and gave him a quick, startlingly wide grin.

"You have three days left to live, Light Yagami, unless you can find me one reason to keep you alive. I will return to you at the close of each day, and ask you for a reason. If, at the end of three days, you have failed to find a reason that we deem acceptable, then you shall die. If you can give us one good reason for you to continue living, then you shall wake once again

"It is your decision, Light Yagami. Three days to find one reason. This is but a game to us, and those are the rules. The prize will be your life. Until we meet again," she waved slightly, a twisted half-smile on her face.

"I bid you farewell."

* * *

**Well??? What do you think? Leave me a review, PLEASEEEE???? With icing and lots of sugar on top, just how L likes it! Also, any questions, review or PM me, and I'll do my best to answer. Also, this will be slash, so anyone ho doesn't like that, I suggest you turn back now.**


	2. Day One

**Phew, so far I've managed to stick with this 'one chapter a day thing'. However, I doubt I'll update on Christmas and Boxing day, because I'll have family round and whatnot. Umm, if you squint REALLY hard, you might be able to spot some slash, but it is very small. There is also some L thoughts included in this chapter - I wanted this tory to be mainly about Light and his thoughts, but I couldn't just not include some L pov. It is short though. **

**Disclaimer; this site is called FANfiction for a reason. Not to mention, if I owned Death Note, the entire thing would have been about LxLight.**

* * *

"Hey Light, I think you've got a problem here," Ryuk howled, leaning forwards and slapping his knee in an exaggerated fashion that was no doubt meant to represent human amusement.

"That may be the case, but I think that you have a problem too. Think about it Ryuk, if I'm not in my body, then who's going to buy you apples?" Ryuk's look of utter horror was faintly amusing to Light, but it couldn't bring a smile to his face.

"What? No way! No apples? Light, that's just wrong! You can't expect me to just not eat apples! I could go and get some myself... I could pick them off trees when nobody's looking!" Ryuk sounded desperate, and Light knew that it wouldn't be long before the 'symptoms' of his addiction began to show themselves, and Light knew from experience that that was not something he liked to see.

"I just don't understand! I have to find a good reason for them to let me live, but what reason is better than the fact that I am ridding this world of evil-doers? What more does she want from me?"

"With Wicked? It's hard to tell. Plus, I don't think she's doing this for herself. Her lot hardly ever mess with humans; it's not what they do." Ryuk was looking around desperately, as though hoping an apple would just appear in front of him.

"I don't suppose you'd tell me what 'her lot' actually are, would you?" Asked Light, a miniscule amount of hope bleeding into his voice. Perhaps if he knew what they were exactly, he would better understand their motivations, and that would make finding a reason that they deemed acceptable an awful lot easier. Ryuk only laughed.

"Sorry Light, no can do. If she didn't tell you, what makes you think I will?"

"I gave you apples when I was in my body?" Light suggested, knowing that it was best to appeal to the apple-lover within Ryuk.

"Not good enough, Light. I've told you before; I'm not on your side."

"I know," Light sighed, giving up on that line of conversation, and quickly trying to think of a new topic he could discuss. "How do you know Wicked?"

"She comes down to the shinigami realm sometimes to say hello to us, or clear up a mess that someone's made in one of the other realms – it's not very often that she gets to visit the human world. They must think you're very dangerous indeed," Ryuk laughed in his annoying way that made Light sincerely wish it were possible to kill a shinigami with the notebook.

Light stood up, stretching slightly, though the motion was rather wasted when he lacked a real body and real joints to pop.

_Well, I guess I'll just have to wait until this evening when she comes back. I'll tell her all about my mission as Kira, and she'll have to let me back into my body. This should be easy. It's only one day._

* * *

Light was bored. He had flat out refused to visit his body, telling Ryuk that it would feel too much like he was ghost, like he was already dead. Ryuk had simply shrugged, and headed off on a quest to find some apples and a place that he could eat them in peace, away from prying eyes and surveillance cameras. At first, Light hadn't complained – in fact, he was quite relieved to have some time alone to think.

Now, however, this forced solitude was beginning to grate on his nerves. He had never really thought himself a social person; mostly, he remained in his room studying. Besides, who was intelligent enough to keep a good conversation going with him? Apart from Ryuzaki, obviously. Light clearly couldn't talk to him too much, in case he inadvertently gave away some small, vital clue as to the true identity of Kira. Of course, he couldn't completely avoid the man either, as that would look extremely suspicious, particularly to one as observant as Ryuzaki.

Light wandered aimlessly through the halls of the task force headquarters, rather surprised that he had yet to run into anyone. He hadn't seen Matsuda running around on some errand set by one of the more senior members of the force, nor had he seen Watari fetching Ryuzaki some sugary snack or other, which was certainly a shock. Light had been beginning to think that Ryuzaki simply couldn't survive without a constant supply of sweets. In fact, he had contemplated removing anything remotely sweet from HQ, just to see if he could dispose of his enemy that way.

The sound of Misa's wails drifted through the halls towards him, and Light rushed forward, thinking that at that precise moment, even Misa's company would be better than the aimless wandering.

Misa, as it happened, was almost hysterical. Light hadn't arrived at the doorway to greet her, and she was demanding to know what was going on. Ryuzaki crouched in his usual chair, back hunched even further than normal, and Light saw his quick flinch as Misa's shrieking reached a pitch and volume that by all rights should have been able to shatter glass. He turned his head slightly to the side, and Light could recognise the beginnings of an exasperated eye-roll that would have been directed towards Light. At the last second, he seemed to catch himself, and turned back to his computer screen, grumbling quietly under his breath.

Rem was standing in the corner of the room, still appearing very smug about something, which confused Light – normally whenever Misa was upset, Rem was on the warpath. Often threatening Light's life while she was at it.

"Shinigami," Ryuzaki interrupted suddenly, turning towards Rem, and Light was startled to see that his eyes were slightly bloodshot. He knew that the man rarely slept, but this was ridiculous. A part of Light – a very small part, mind you – was wondering if Ryuzaki looked so exhausted because of him, but quickly dismissed that thought. After all, Light was a prime suspect in Ryuzaki's eyes. Why would he care whether or not Light lived? He probably didn't care- he was probably more interested in how this situation came about.

Why did that thought make Light's chest ache?

"Yes?" Rem responded, her soft voice carrying easily across the silent room.

"Is it possible that Kira could be controlling Light right now?" Ryuzaki asked, and if Light hadn't known better, he could have sworn that he heard a faint tremor in Ryuzaki's voice. Of course, that was just ridiculous.

"I suppose it is possible, but I can't imagine Kira using the notebook like this," was the quiet reply, her one visible eye flicking towards where Light stood in the centre of the room before focusing on Ryuzaki once again.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Ryuzaki had noticed; he also glanced in Light's direction. He, however, saw nothing, and swiftly returned his gaze to Rem.

"Can you think of anything else that might be causing this? Something that humans aren't aware of?" Ryuzaki asked, his voice urgent.

"Not that I'm aware of," Rem replied, though Light knew that she was lying through her teeth, and probably enjoying misleading all the humans, too.

Already sick of Misa's silent sobs and Ryuzaki's interrogation of Rem, Light turned and walked through the door – literally through the door, and not simply through the doorframe. It seemed that now he was no longer trapped within his body, he was able to move through solid objects, though the scientist inside him screamed that it shouldn't be possible.

Outside, the wind howled straight through him; an uncomfortable experience, though it was not at all painful. Huge TVs on the sides of buildings were giving updates on Kira – it seemed that the killings had continues, despite his current state, and Light couldn't help but silently thank Misa. Irritating she may be, she was utterly loyal and completely devoted to him, something that he used to his advantage wherever possible.

He sighed, wandering the streets alone, instinctively moving out of peoples' way, despite the fact that he was no longer solid. He already knew the answer he would give Wicked when she appeared tonight. He just had to make it through today.

* * *

L Lawliet wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. He hadn't slept or eaten anything since Light had collapsed, and he was beginning to feel the effects. The shinigami didn't know what had happened, and the doctors he had hired could find nothing wrong with Light other than the fact that he wouldn't wake.

L wouldn't have been surprised if one of the other owners of a notebook had decided to get rid of all of the other owners – less competition that way. Or perhaps the shinigami had done this – he had rather gotten the feeling that she didn't much like Light.

Or maybe – though the odds were very small, roughly three percent – Light was innocent, and Kira was planning on killing the task force, one by one. However, that wasn't a possibility that L wished to dwell on, not with Light currently laying in a hospital bed a few rooms over, hooked up to countless machines and monitors.

L had once said that Light was his first friend – that was true. It may have been dangerous to befriend the man most likely to be Kira out of all the suspects identified, but L couldn't help himself. Light was charismatic, charming and easily as intelligent as L himself. He was one of the first people who truly offered L a challenge – this supposedly perfect boy, a mass murderer? It shouldn't be possible, but L knew that it was the most likely explanation.

Then there was the fact that Light was ridiculously attractive. L didn't like to admit it, even to himself, but now, with the possibility that Light might never wake...

Well, did it really matter what he admitted to himself?

* * *

Light wasn't precisely sure where Wicked planned to meet him, but he supposed that she would be able to find him, wherever he was. So, he waited on the roof, under cover – though he couldn't get wet from the rain, it wasn't very nice to feel it falling through him.

"Do you have a reason for me, Light Yagami?" Wicked asked, again standing behind him. He started to wonder whether she got a sort of sick pleasure from startling him so bad. In an ill-disguised attempt to cover his shock, Light gathered his dignity and stood to his full height.

"The world needs me. The world needs Kira. I am making this world a better place for good, honest people, and they know that."

"Do they really?" Wicked asked, a glint of something unidentifiable in her white eyes.

"What do you mean by that?" Light asked suspiciously. He had learned by now that you could never entirely trust a supernatural creature. There was always some ulterior motive.

"What of the families of the judged? The innocent, who have done nothing more than be related to the wrong people. Do you suppose they love Kira, do you think that they believe in what he is doing when he has murdered their sons, daughters, parents, brothers or sisters? Light Yagami, you are going about this the wrong way. I have already told you that my people do not approve of your actions as Kira, nor do we care particularly about your quest for a 'better world'.

"I want you to find me a reason for you to stay alive. Not Kira, not Light the detective, _you_. Why do _you_ want to stay alive?"

Light blinked, then blinked again, thoroughly stunned. It was true, he had started thinking of himself and Kira as two people within one body, but Wicked couldn't know that, surely? He opened his mouth to ask Wicked what she meant by that, but she spoke before he could.

"I will return at this time tomorrow. Have another answer ready for me then."

* * *

**Hahaha, Light has made it through day one without going insane. And is that concern I sense, Ryuzaki? So... why should Light be allowed to live. What do you think? I've probably made it totally obvious to you, but unfortunately, our two boys are completely oblivious. I wonder what tomorrow will bring?**

**Also, because I've just been watching Harry Hill... I like L. And I like Light. But which one's better? There's only one way to find out... REVIEW... I mean, FIGHT!!**


	3. Day Two

**0.0 "Another chapter!" I hear you cry. Yes, boys and girls (and possibly aliens too ;]) I have once again managed to update when I said I would. Let us pause for a short while, and just appreciate the moment.**

**Aaaanyway, still no real slash here... :( though there are slashy undertones. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the next chapter *coughcough***

**Disclaimer: There is a 100 percent chance that Emma does not own Death Note. You like my L impression? You couldn't see it, but I was also all curled up with my thumb on my lips!**

* * *

Light thought it strange that his spirit needed to sleep. After all, sleep was designed to allow the body to rest, and the brain to sort through the day's events. Right now, Light had neither a body nor a brain – so why did he need sleep?

He had also thought it rather odd that he had woken on the roof. Certainly, his last memories of yesterday were of time spent on the roof, conversing with Wicked, but surely he hadn't fallen asleep up there... it was cold, wet and windy, and though he had no physical form, he was not immune to the bitter chill.

Light watched the sun rise above the many skyscrapers stretching into the distance, the light bringing with it the beginning of his second day without his body. He had only this day and more afterwards to find an answer that would satisfy the strange goddess – for Light was now convinced that she could be nothing else. How could he find an answer in such a short space of time?

For the first time in longer than he could remember, Light was truly afraid.

He wasn't sure how much time he had wasted simply watching the people below him get on with their ordinary lives, but eventually, he was woken from his thoughts by the sound of the door opening. He had hardly a moment to wonder who it could possibly be before he saw the slouched figure step into the frigid air and crouch down next to the wall.

_Ryuzaki? What's he doing up here?_ Light wondered to himself.

He considered staying up here, above the air and sound pollution of the city, but eventually decided against it. He didn't feel particularly comfortable invading Ryuzaki's privacy in this way, for solitude was clearly what the man was seeking.

Of course, it was also very cold, and the wind was raw. At least, Light tried to convince himself that that was why his cheeks were blazing as he turned and ran through the door, taking the steps three at a time as he raced towards the warm interior of the building.

* * *

L was sitting on the roof – or, as close to sitting as he ever came, which was essentially crouching with his hands resting upon his knees. His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out of his pocket, awkwardly holding it against his ear with the tips of his finger and thumb.

"Yes?" He asked, already ninety-three percent certain of who it would be.

"Ryuzaki, please come down. The task force are restless without you, and I have made some chocolate éclairs." Watari's voice hardly carried above the chiming bells, but L pushed them to the back of his mind, instead gathering his thoughts and standing up.

"I understand. Please inform the task force that I will be down shortly, and would you mind making me a cup of coffee?" Though L tried to keep his voice steady and emotionless, something about the muted pity in Watari's tone made his situation a whole lot worse.

"I will see to it," Watari responded kindly, and hung up without saying goodbye – there was little need when one considered that L would be seeing him downstairs in a minute anyway.

Until then... L thought he might watch the rain, and listen to the bells ring a little while longer.

* * *

"Hey, where are you going, Light?" Ryuk asked, flying behind Light as he walked quickly through the cold streets. Light was still trying to adjust to the way the wind and the rain didn't strike his solid form, instead passing straight through him, but he couldn't ignore Ryuk. After all, no one but the two shinigamis could even see him! Wicked's words from the previous day still rang in his mind, but he couldn't imagine what she meant by them.

_Alright, so lately, I might have been thinking about Kira as a separate person to me, but logically, I know that we're the same being. How can I find a reason for me to stay alive if I don't also find a reason for Kira to stay alive?_

Light just didn't know what to do.

"I'm going to visit mum and Sayu," he said, to answer Ryuk's question.

"Oh. Why?" Ryuk asked, and Light seriously considered telling him to butt out and mind his own business, before he remembered that this was the only company he'd have until he either woke up... or died.

"Because I don't know whether I'll be able to see them again after this," Light said, and was horrified to feel the sting of tears threatening to spill. No! He was supposed to be a god! Gods didn't need family, they didn't cry over something so inconsequential.

Light stood outside of his home, staring at the door, unsure as to whether he should walk in. Shaking himself, he walked forward up the path, internally shouting at how ridiculous it was that he was considering it wrong to enter his own home. Yet, how long had it been since he had last been home? How long since he had last seen his mother and his sister? Light wasn't sure, but he knew that it had not been recent.

Somehow, Light managed to catch himself before he called out to his mum and Sayu, remembering at the last moment that neither of them would be able to hear him. Besides, Ryuk would no doubt spend the rest of eternity laughing at him if he did do something so foolish. Instead, he followed the sound of the TV in the living room, where he would no doubt find Sayu, if not his mother.

Surprisingly enough, he found them both sitting on the sofa, curled up together as though they were cold, though Light was sure that the room was plenty warm enough.

"I'm scared, mum. What if he doesn't get better?" Sayu whispered, and Light was shocked to see tear tracks glistening on her face. Light thought hard, but he couldn't imagine who Sayu meant. Who did they know that was ill? Perhaps one of her friends from school.

"He'll be alright, Sayu. Your father will take good care of him, and Light's always been a fighter," Light mother whispered, and Light wasn't sure whether she was trying to convince Sayu or herself. In fact, he wasn't sure of anything anymore.

So, his father had told them that he was ill, had he? Light supposed he must have also told them that it was serious, and perhaps contagious – he had no doubt made up some story about how he had to be quarantined, and that was why they weren't allowed to visit. Maybe it had been Ryuzaki's idea to do so, or perhaps Soichiro had thought of it himself. Either way, Light was quite grateful that they would not have to see him in such a state. He didn't want that for his family.

Sighing, Light seated himself as near to Sayu as he dared, wondering absently why he could walk through walls and doors, but could sit on a seat... well, not quite sit – he hovered perhaps half an inch above the cushion, but that was a mere detail. Maybe it was something to do with willpower. He had wanted to walk through the walls and doors, but he didn't want to fall through the sofa.

Unthinkingly, Light rested his head against Sayu's shoulder, like he used to when they were children. He hadn't expected her to notice; after all, nobody could see or hear him. However, to his great surprise, Sayu shivered slightly, and glanced towards him, appearing surprised when she didn't see anything.

"Sayu?" Light asked quietly, after glancing quickly around to make sure that Ryuk was busy looking for apples in the kitchen. Sayu merely turned her face away from him, and wrapped her arms around her mother, burying her damp face in the cotton shirt. Either she couldn't hear him at all, or she had convinced herself that he wasn't real – Light couldn't quite decide which was more likely.

Still. He thought he knew what his answer would be when Wicked arrived that night.

* * *

This was the second day of Light's mysterious ailment, and L was still at a complete loss. This was unlike anything he had seen or heard of before. He crouched before the computer screen, growing more and more tense with each second that passed, though no sign of that was made visible to the task force. In fact, one of the only people who would have notice L's unusual behaviour was currently lying in a hospital bed, apparently dead to the world.

Not to mention, quite possibly dying, if the shinigami had spoken the truth when L had questioned it... _her_. Rem was a female, as L kept reminding himself. It was just so strange to see a god of death, and of course, Rem didn't really look male or female.

L had surveillance cameras set up in Light's makeshift hospital room, but so far, only Watari was keeping watch over the boy with them. The other task force members had already been to visit Light in person, but L had refused. He wasn't entirely sure why – he thought that Light probably wouldn't want so many people seeing him in such a weakened state. Really, the boy's pride and arrogance bordered on obsessive sometimes.

"Ryuzaki?" Soichiro asked, his voice unsure as he walked into the room. It sounded as though he was alone, which L found unusual – often, the ex-police chief had at least Matsuda following him around like a loyal puppy.

"Yes?" L responded, keeping his eyes trained upon the various screens in front of him, though he hadn't been able to take in any of the information for almost two hours. Perhaps it was time for a break...

No! Every time L shut his eyes – which admittedly, wasn't often – all he could see was Light collapsing to the floor in a crumpled heap of tangled limbs. At first, L had feared a heart attack, brought about by some other notebook; L himself had almost died of fright. Having established that Light was still alive, L had turned, in a moment of uncharacteristic rage to yell at the shinigami. He was afraid, angry, and he needed someone to blame for this. The god of death was the most logical option.

"The doctors say that they're not feeling hopeful about Light. They say that his condition is decreasing alarmingly fast... That he may only have a few days left. Ryuzaki, I would like to request that you take me off of the task force until this whole mess has been sorted. That's my son in there, and I can't continue to work like this when he might... when he could..." Soichiro broke off abruptly, but L understood what he had been trying to say. After all, L had been having similar thoughts all day.

"I understand," he whispered softly. "You will, of course, be relieved of all your duties, and you are free to do as you wish."

"Thank you," said Soichiro, and he turned and left, the door closing with a soft click. L waited until he was sure the other man would be out of earshot.

"A few days?" He muttered under his breath, his head falling forward onto his knees.

"Oh Light, what it wrong with you?"

* * *

Light was so confused. He had already seen that the majority of the task force had visited his body; though he refused to enter the room, he had seen them coming in and out of the doors leading to the building's hospital wing.

Ryuzaki, however... well, he hadn't been once. Light wasn't sure whether he should be relieved or angry at that fact. Relieved because he didn't really want anyone to see him like this, and angry because Ryuzaki didn't seem to care enough about his first friend enough to go and visit him on his could-be-deathbed.

"Feeling conflicted, Light Yagami?" Wicked had once again managed to appear behind him without him noticing; damn, but how did she _do_ that?

"I have an answer for you," Light responded, anticipating what her next question would be, and deciding to get there first. One brow rose, white eyes fixed on Light's face.

"Oh? Pray tell," she said, her voice mocking. Light ignored that, and dived straight in.

"My family. I'm Sayu's only brother, my parents' only son. If I die, they're sure to miss me, and we don't have any other family. Who would they turn to?"

"Each other? Light Yagami, you grow closer to the answer with each passing day, yet at the same time, your chances of satisfying us grow less. You are on the right path, but still, you are looking far too hard. Think Light Yagami, who would miss you the most, do you think? Who would have no one able to comfort them if anything happened to you? Light Yagami, you are looking too far away. The answer is right in front of you; you are just too blind to see it.

"Think hard, Light Yagami. Tomorrow is your last chance." With that, Wicked vanished once more, and Light was rather stunned to see what was going on behind her.

* * *

**Review? Please? Do it for the children!... I mean, Do it for L and Light! The poor boys are in total denial (like a couple of friends of mine *coughnudgewink* but I can't reveal names) so let's put them out of their misery!! Review for them!**


	4. Day Three

**Yeah! Second-to-last chapter up! How was everyone's Christmas, or whatever the heck you guys celebrate? Sorry for not updating before, had relatives round. It was okay, but it severely restricted my writing time. Still, can't complain. Well, I suppose I can,but not about anything important... sorry I was rambling there...**

**FINALLY! SLASH!! YESSSS!!**

**Death note is not mine.**

* * *

Light had never really seen Ryuzaki look suspicious – his acting skills rivalled even Light's own, so he never appeared to be uncomfortable, no matter the situation. Now, however, he was glancing up and down the hallway, and seemed to be listening carefully, as though he did not want to run into anyone on his way to wherever he was going. Light knew that he really shouldn't, but his curiosity finally got the better of him; he jogged after the detective, slightly surprised at the speed of Ryuzaki's loping stride.

As the two ascended the steep steps, Light realised that they were heading towards the roof again, and almost turned around, memories of wind and rain chilling him to the core. Yet something within him resisted the idea of leaving Ryuzaki, and he steeled himself before walking out into the elements, glancing around as he attempted to catch a glimpse of the elusive detective.

Ryuzaki was standing in the pouring rain, staring into the distance, eyes unfocused as the rain poured down his face. Light wasn't sure, but he thought he could see Ryuzaki's shoulders shaking – the supposed genius was standing in the rain in nothing more than a long-sleeved t-shirt, jeans and scuffed shoes. He wasn't even wearing socks! Ryuzaki had always been rather eccentric, but this was simply ridiculous. Having escaped Kira's clutches for so long, Light couldn't believe that Ryuzaki was prepared to risk catching hypothermia and dying due to sheer idiocy.

_Wait a minute..._ Light thought, looking at Ryuzaki carefully, still sheltered somewhat by the overhang above him, that Ryuzaki's eyes looked rather...shiny. Was he crying? That certainly seemed out of character for the great detective; he had almost always been completely unfazed by whatever life threw at him.

Taking a deep breath and bracing himself, Light stepped out of his little shelter and walked across the roof to where Ryuzaki stood. Light wasn't sure why he chose to stand beside his arch-nemesis; it wasn't as though he could do or say anything to the man.

Both Light and Ryuzaki looked around when the door to the roof opened; though Ryuzaki showed no sign of it, Light was sure he wasn't the only one surprised to see Matsuda step out of the corridor and into the cold.

"Ryuzaki, why haven't you been to see Light?" Matsuda asked, sounding quite indignant on Light's behalf, and the mass-murderer couldn't help but feel touched at the gesture. There were very few who would dare stand up to Ryuzaki in this way, and Light hadn't realised that Matsuda had this much courage.

"His fate will be the same, regardless of whether I choose to visit him, Matsuda. Besides, I don't think Light would want me to see him in his present state," Ryuzaki replied, turning away to stare across the rooftops once again.

"But he's your _friend!_ Your first friend is in hospital, and you haven't even been to see him! Ryuzaki, I think that Light would care more about that than the fact you saw him when he was sick. He would want to know that you were there for him, I know he would!" Matsuda's voice was passionate, and Light could hear that he truly believed what he was saying. He had never before realised what a good friend Matsuda was.

"I can't! I can't go and see him, because it might be the last time I ever see him, and I don't really want my last memory of Light to be lying in hospital, completely helpless! Matsuda, please understand that I want to go and see Light more than anything, but I just can't bring myself to do so!" Light had never heard so much emotion in the detective's voice before, and in truth, it scared him a little. Matsuda was silent for a moment.

"What happened to the L who challenged Kira to kill him on live TV? What happened to the man who confronted the person most likely to be Kira head on? And now, you're scared to go and see your own friend?" Matsuda looked and sounded angry at Ryuzaki. "If you don't go, then you aren't the man we all thought you were." With that, the young task force member turned away and stormed inside, leaving a shell-shocked Light staring at Ryuzaki.

He hadn't realised how well the man understood him and his thought processes – Ryuzaki had somehow managed to voice almost exactly what he had been thinking.

Light also hadn't realised exactly how much his prolonged unconsciousness was affecting Ryuzaki; he didn't think he had ever heard the man raise his voice before; now, he had virtually yelled at Matsuda, the most agreeable member of the task force.

Light was getting himself sidetracked; he mentally shook himself, and stood next to Ryuzaki, contemplating his mortality and the short time he had left to find an answer.

What had Wicked meant when she said that he was looking too hard? Who had she meant when she told him to think of who had no one but him? Light couldn't help but think that the answer was _right there_, but somehow, it was intangible, like trying to catch smoke with his bare hands.

Light was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the tears on Ryuzaki's face mingling with the rain.

* * *

L wasn't quite sure when it had dawned on him exactly how much he cared for Light Yagami, but he thought it may have been sometime between the thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth stair leading to the roof. As for how he had never before realised his feelings, he could only suppose that it was incredible mind attempting to shield itself from the pain this would doubtless inflict upon him. After all, what sort of genius detective goes and falls in love with the prime suspect in a murder investigation? Who happens to be dating the second suspect in afore mentioned murder case? Who, let's not forget, is undeniably straight?

No, this could not end well. So, L could only assume that he had subconsciously been protecting himself by denying these feelings for so long.

More than anything, L wanted to visit Light, to reassure himself that Light was still alive, was still fighting whatever this was, but he couldn't bring himself to take the first step in the right direction. What if it was the last time he ever saw Light alive? He would much rather remember the calm, intelligent boy Light had always been, rather than the medical anomaly he was right now. Also, as he had explained to Matsuda – whose courage astounded him – he knew that Light wouldn't want him as a witness to his weakness.

L had never really believed in God; even now, after meeting a shinigami, the idea of one all-powerful being was absurd to his mind. However, L couldn't help the small prayer that fell from his lips – he asked for the strength he would need to visit Light.

Whether or not it was a god, L thought he felt someone with him in that moment – someone who took his hand and led off of the roof towards the hospital room.

Though he knew it was impossible, and though it sounded ridiculous even in his mind, L couldn't help but think that the presence felt an awful lot like Light.

* * *

If not for the monitors and the fact that Light was staring at his own body, he rather thought that it looked a lot like he was sleeping. As it was, the constant beeping of machines constantly reminded him of the fact that this was one sleep from which he may never wake.

Ryuzaki crouched in the chair by the side of his bed – they were the only ones in there, and in truth, Light was really very glad. He could see the detective falling apart in front of him, and he thought that it was bad enough that he was witness to Ryuzaki's pain. Of course, he suspected that there were security cameras placed throughout the room, but the only person who would be watching that was Watari; possibly his father, but Light doubted it.

Light stood in the corner, as far from his body as he could possibly get – standing too close to it felt weird, like he was staring at his corpse. Ryuzaki seemed to be having similar thoughts as he took hold of Light's hand – his body's hand, anyway. Sadly, Light stared at his spiritual hand; he felt nothing that might indicate Ryuzaki had touched it. It was as though he was completely separate from his body, a notion that Light did not like at all.

The bubble of somewhat distorted peace did not last long – Rem and Ryuk drifted through the wall of the hospital room some time later, though of course, Ryuzaki was only aware of Rem's presence.

"L, I am afraid that I will have to leave this world at the end of this day," she said, her voice impassive. Light's eyebrows shot up his forehead – he could guess who was behind this, but he was shocked that she would take it this far.

"Why?" Ryuzaki asked, his voice hoarse – he cleared his throat quietly, unaware that anyone but Rem and possibly Watari could hear him.

"The shinigami king has ordered that all shinigami return to our realm, with our death notes, by the end of today. You needn't worry – it is doubtful that any shall return within your lifetime."

Light turned to Ryuk. "Is this true?" He asked the shinigami, voice sceptical.

"Oh yeah, heard from him earlier today. Wicked paid him a visit apparently; seems like her lot are serious about this anti-Kira business."

"But without the death note, we have no case!" Ryuzaki cried.

"You will have no need for one; without the death note, Kira will be unable to commit murder," Rem soothed, her gentle voice calming even to Light, though she wasn't speaking to him.

"Will I lose my memories of the death note?" Light asked, turning to Ryuk, and he was dimly aware of Ryuzaki asking Rem the same question.

"You'll forget about me, and you'll forget that you ever owned a death note, but all the stuff the investigators learned about it and Rem after you killed Higuchi will stay with you," Ryuk explained.

"So I won't remember I'm Kira?" He asked with some trepidation.

"Nah," Ryuk laughed; the sound was as raspy as usual.

_This way, L won't be able to convict me,_ Light thought gleefully, temporarily forgetting that he may well die before L ever had the chance to convict him.

* * *

"I understand. Thank you for telling me, Rem," L said, the shinigami's name sounding strange and foreign on his lips.

"You are quite welcome, L," she responded, turning and leaving silently, so that L was once again alone with Light. L took a deep breath and started speaking feeling incredibly foolish.

"Light. Though this may sound rather stupid, and though you would no doubt laugh if you were conscious, I feel as though you can hear me, wherever you are. Logically, I know that there is less than a four percent chance that you can actually hear me, but many people believe that people in a coma are aware of their surroundings, and I suppose it can't hurt...

"You know that you are my first friend. I've already told you that, and I feel that you have been quite a good friend to me, regardless of whether or not you can actually hear me. But Light, these new circumstances have made me realise something; something that I'm not quite sure how to put into words. You hear that? You've managed to render me speechless! As I'm sure you're aware, that is some achievement.

"Light, recently I've started to notice things about you that perhaps I shouldn't notice. The way your hair shines with such beautiful honeyed tones in the sunlight; how smooth and confident your voice sounds; how you always seem to take everything life throws at you in stride. And Light, when I realised that I was noticing these things, I pushed them to the back of my mind – I always told myself that I would analyse what they meant later, though I never did. I was too afraid of what they might mean, what they might tell me about myself.

"But now... now that your life is in danger, now that I may never have the chance to say this again... Light all of those things I noticed, the realisation I've come to...

"I love you, Light Yagami, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it. And I think that that's what scares me most of all."

L had no idea that at that exact moment the object of his affections was listening to his confessions with his mouth open wide and his brain completely shorted out.

* * *

Well. Of all the things Light had expected to come out of Ryuzaki's mouth, a declaration of love wasn't one of them. Though, the more he thought about it...

Light was certain that he returned those feelings. He wasn't precisely sure when or how it had happened, but happen it had, and now he would have to face the consequences.

He was sure that this was what Wicked had been talking about. Ryuzaki was the person who needed him most of all, and Ryuzaki was one of the only reasons he wanted to stay alive.

"I think you have an answer for me, Light Yagami." This time, Wicked's voice was too soft to startle, and her tone was almost kind; her mouth lifted in something that could have been a smile, which Light found mildly disturbing. Light gave her his reason as simply as he could, smiling gently at Ryuzaki.

"Him. He's the reason I stay alive," Light whispered, stepping closer to the man he had so carelessly fallen in love with, staring fondly at the mess of dark hair, the pale skin and obsidian eyes that made up the world's most elusive detective.

"An excellent answer," Wicked murmured, though Light didn't hear her. He turned back to the strange goddess.

"Will I remember this?" He asked – he wanted to be able to remember Ryuzaki's words for the rest of his life, however long or short that was.

"Oh yes. We would not take this experience from you," Wicked replied smiling and waving a dismissive hand at him. As before, Light felt himself crumple to the ground.

However, this time when he opened his eyes, he was not staring at his own body, but rather, gazing into a pair of startled, relieved and – dare he think it – loving black eyes.

* * *

**Only the epilogue to go now! Will hopefully be up tomorrow. Please review! I love reviews. Reviews to me are cakes and sweeties to L! Now, because I am exhausted, I will stop typing.**


	5. Epilogue Godly Perverts

**SORRY! I didn't update when I said I would, but I do have a couple of good reasons why - I was ill and my internet crashed. At the same freaking time! My luck realy hates me; it holds for AGES, and then dumps two things on me at once. But, I have updated now, with the epilogue, and the final chapter of this story :O I managed to write a short story! With plot and everything!**

**And yes, you read the title correctly. Just wait - all will be explained eventually.**

**Also, I have something I need a little help with; see the AN at the bottom for details.**

**If I owned Death Note, the plot would have been based around the hot boylove! Therefore, we must conclude that I don't own Death Note :(**

* * *

Light suddenly found that his arms were full of a wild detective, who gripped his shoulders as though the world would end if he dared to let go. His hands were restricted by the many wires sticking out of them, but Light hugged back as best he could, though his body felt so incredibly _heavy_. The feeling of being able to touch things and not have fall through him would take some getting used to, but Light thought that he could handle it if he was being embraced by L.

"Are you alright? Is there anything you need?" L asked, his voice concerned and slightly unsteady.

"Can I have some water?" Light requested, his throat sore and his voice raspy.

"Of course," L said, quickly moving away, though Light was reluctant to let him go. Light wasn't sure when he had stopped thinking of L as Ryuzaki, but he didn't mind. The plastic cup of water L handed him was cold – deliciously so, and Light nearly choked as he tried to swallow it as quickly as possible. He glanced up, meeting L's wide eyes; they were a strange blend of confused, worried and relieved.

"Didn't realise that it was that serious," Light joked weakly, his voice still slightly hoarse with disuse. L didn't appear to appreciate his attempt at humour.

"Light, the doctors told us that you were likely going to die today, of course it was serious," L sounded chiding, disapproving, but Light knew exactly how afraid he'd been.

"She wasn't kidding, then," Light murmured, thinking of Wicked and the rather disturbing idea that if he hadn't decided to follow L, he would likely be dead by now.

"What was that?" L asked, looking concerned. Light panicked for a second, not having realised that he had spoken aloud. L must think him insane; after all, Light was still having a tough time believing what had happened to him, and he could remember it all with perfect clarity. However, L had never seen Wicked, and had no idea that she even existed.

"Oh, it was nothing," Light lied smoothly, keeping eye contact with L, surprisingly with only minimal guilt.

"Light, I'd say that there is a ninety four percent chance that you are hiding something from me right now," L replied calmly. "Now, unless you want me to take advantage of your inability to move and tickle it out of you, I would suggest that you tell me what it is."

"It's a bit of a long story," Light said, effectively dodging the question. L looked suspicious, but reluctantly dropped the subject.

"Alright, I suppose you can tell me later," L sighed. "After all, no doubt Watari has already informed the other task members that you are awake now."

"Wait, what?" Light asked, sounding panicked, even as the door burst open and his father stormed in, marching right over to the bed and pulling Light into his arms.

"I was so worried, son," Soichiro muttered, his grip enough that Light was sure he was going to have bruises by the morning.

"How long was I out?" Light asked, though he knew very well that he had been unconscious for three days. Still, that wasn't something that he should know, so he thought that he should ask for the sake of keeping up appearances. He also knew how much his mysterious ailment must have worried his father – especially when taking into consideration the death note – but at that moment, Light wanted nothing more than to be left alone with L. It seemed that they would have much to discuss.

"Three days, son. The doctors were saying that if you didn't wake up today..." Soichiro trailed off, not realising that Light realised the danger far better than his father ever could. Light had already resolved to tell no one but L exactly what had happened; he doubted that anyone but L would believe him, regardless of the fact that the task force were already well aware of the presence of shinigami.

"I understand, dad," Light said quietly, not quite daring to meet his father's eyes.

"Yagami-san, perhaps it would be best if you allowed Light to sleep for a short while. Though he has been unconscious, I am sure that he is exhausted and would appreciate the rest," L interjected smoothly. Light's father opened his mouth, looking as though he would argue fiercely before the anger faded from his face, and his shoulders slumped in submission.

"Of course, you're probably right, Ryuzaki," he admitted, embracing his son once more. "I'll come back when you feel up to having visitors," he promised Light as he left, shutting the door quietly behind him.

"Thank you," Light said gratefully to L.

"That's quite alright. I expect your father will stop the other task force members coming to disturb you," L said calmly, and Light wondered how he had never before noticed what an excellent actor the detective was. Had he not heard L's earlier confession, he would have never guessed that the detective harboured feelings for him. Or even that he harboured feelings at all a lot of the time.

"I hope so. There was something I needed to talk to you about," Light started nervously, staring at his hands.

"Light, if this is about the case, then you needn't bother. The shinigami has returned to her world, and..."

"I know, L. I was here, I heard her," Light interrupted, still studiously staring at the way his hands were twisted together on the sheets.

"You were... how is that possible?" Light got the strange feeling that he should be enjoying L's look of helpless confusion a lot more than he actually was – he shook it off.

"Like I said, it's a bit of a long story," Light started. L raised a slightly sceptical eyebrow.

"We have time," he stated calmly, and Light knew that it wasn't a good idea to stat arguing with him. After all, he had no idea whether the man would spare him just because he was currently bed-ridden.

Light took a deep breath and started his explanation.

* * *

It took an hour and a half for Light to feel certain that he had finally managed to tell L everything that he knew, remembered and had guessed about what had happened to him. Everything but one small detail.

"So what was it?" L asked, leaning forward eagerly. "What was the reason in the end?" Light swallowed hard – he knew he need all of his courage for this one, small action.

Light stretched across the three-inch gap between them, pressing his lips to L's with all of the force he was capable of. Which, admittedly, wasn't very much at the present time, but Light thought that L seemed to get the message, if the way the detective gripped his hair to drag him closer was anything to go by. L's lips tasted of desperation, love and marshmallows, and Light smiled at the taste that was wholly L.

If anyone had thought to ask him later on, Light would never have been able to tell them how long he had spent kissing L on his almost-deathbed, but he thought that it must have been quite a while. Well, the only measure of the time passed he had was the thundering of hearts and harsh breathing as they finally pulled away.

"I almost didn't realise," Light murmured between gulping breaths, his forehead resting against L's. "It was so close...and then I heard you talking to me, and I just knew."

"I came so close to losing you, the man I love, and you were sitting there, eavesdropping on me," L muttered, burying his face in Light's hair, letting out a harsh laugh. "Only you, Light Yagami, only you."

"Carry on like that, and I might see if I can find another reason," Light growled.

"Oh? What was the reason? You never actually said; you just attacked me." There was a mischievous glint in L's stormy eyes – rather than intimidating Light as it would others, he grinned, rising to the unspoken challenge.

"I had to tell you that I love you."

* * *

"What would you have done if he hadn't figured it out?" Ryuk asked Wicked as they both stared down at the human world from the shinigami realm. Ryuk, though he insisted he didn't give a damn, had been staring avidly at the human he had tailed for so long, leaving Rem and Wicked wondering if was secretly some sort of godly-pervert.

"I was sort of counting on him figuring it out," Wicked said, smiling sheepishly.

"Yeah, but you can't kill anyone," Ryuk argued, quickly picking out the major flaw in the plan she and her people had hatched.

"No, but you can. You could have done something about it, if I promised to get you apples," Wicked offered with a grin.

"Now why would I do that?" Ryuk asked, his interest captured again by the two human boys he was watching. Wicked and Rem's eyebrows shot up as they saw what he was staring at, the two goddesses exchanging mildly disturbed glances

"Humans are just _so_ much fun!"

* * *

**Oh, Ryuk... *shakes head* He's a hopeless case, I swear.**

**Alright, here is what I need help with; PLOT BUNNY! I have been bitten, but I do not have the time (or enough of a plot) to actually write it. So I thought 'I'll post it here! Then someone else might be inspired to write it!' So, here it is;**

**The Shinigami are a coven of vampires; proper, gothic-type vampires. Not that I have anything against Twilight-type vampires (I am a ridiculous fangirl) but I don't really think it would fit with Death Note vibe. Ryuk, a bored vampire, decides to change a human for a laugh - unfortunately for Light Yagami, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is changed, and though slightly horrified by what he has become, decides that if he has to kill to survive, then he will try and do something good with that. Using the alias Kira, he drains only criminals, leaving the word 'Kira' written nearby (in blood? I dunno.) Of course, the mysterious deaths are soon noticed, and the famous detective L is called in. It would be great if we could get some LxLight in there, but I don't really mind.**

**I JUST HAD TO GET THE DAMN PLOT BUNNY OFF MY CHEST, ALRIGHT?**

**What do you think? Would it make a good story? Does anyone want to write it? Please do!!! **

**Also, please leave a review :)**


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